Vaishno Devi - Highly Revered Temple

Vaishno Devi Temple, a revered site for Hindus

, is among the most visited pilgrimage destinations in India. Located in Jammu and Kashmir, the hills of Vaishno Devi are home to the famous Temple of Mata Vaishno Devi, who killed Bhairav Nath at the site.

Located at an altitude of 5200 feet above the sea level in the Trikuta Mountains, Mata Vaishno Devi Temple is the second most visited religious place in the country. It is estimated that more than 80 lakh pilgrims visit the hill Temple every year.

The Vaishno Devi Temple is a narrow hilly cave. The Temple has images of three deities of Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati. The Temple is considered as one of the Shakti Peeths of Goddess Durga. Inside the cave, the pilgrims can see three natural rock formations, called the Pindis. These rock formations represent three goddesses of Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, and Mahasaraswati.

The original cave is quite narrow. So it takes time to reach the Sanctum Sanctorum. The original cave is open for devotees only during the lean season and during the traditional festivals or on the ritualistic occasions. A new tunnel has been constructed, which is 200 metres long, to facilitate the darshan of the large number of pilgrims.

One has to trek 13 km to reach the Vaishno Devi Hills from the base camp of Katra. Alternately, one can hire ponies to travel to the Temple. Before starting journey, one has to get the yatra slip from the Yatra Registration Centre of tourist office. On the way to Temple, shelters are there for the visitors to rest. Water, drinks and food (only Vegetarian) are also available on the route. Helicopter services are now available which shuttle devotees to the shrine.

There are several other sites in and around the Temple. On the way, tourists will come across Ardh Kuwari, Charan Paduka, Garbha Joon, Bhairav Nath Temple and Jahan Kosha. There are other pilgrimage sites on the way like the Bhumika Temple, Kalika Temple, Shiva Goompha, and Ban Ganga Temple with the spring of the holy river Ban Ganga.

The administration of the Temple is in the hands of Vaishno Devi Shrine Board. Vaishno Devi is well connected by air, rail and road. The nearest airport and railway station is at Jammu (50 km), which is well connected by air and railway with major cities. Due to its high altitude, the weather in Vaishno Devi is quite cold during winter with the temperature going down below 0 degree centigrade. The best time to visit the Temple is during the summer and when there is no rainfall. Accommodation options in Vaishno Devi Hills are limited. But there are several hotels in the base camp of Katra and in its neighborhood.

by: Rashmii

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